Explosive engine



H. B. BLACK.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLlc/moN FILED DE c.9,1919.

mma Aug. 8; 1929.,

V 3 SHEETSSHEET I.

:72 a s ATTORNEY.

FIG. E. //Q INVENTOR.

H. s. BLACK.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.9. IQ'I Patented Au. 89v I9?.

IAQ/i399,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/im ATTORNEY.

H. B. BLACK.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

vAPPLICATION FILED D509. 1919.

Patentd A110. 8, 1929.

v3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l# q ATTORNEY.

y INVENTOR.

PATENT @FFHCEO HARVEY B. BLACK, 0F BOGOTA, NEW JERSEY.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Aug, 8, 11922.,

Application led December 9, 1919. Serial No. 343,683.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARyEY B. BLACK, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in the State of New Jersey, county of Bergen, and town of Bogota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive Engines, of which the following is a specification. i 1 f My invention has for its object the utilization of the heat of combustion in an internal combustion engine, and particularly the latent energy now lost through the radiation of heat from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine; the absorption thereo-f by a'vaporizable Huid brought into Contact therewith; the translation thereof into kinetic energy and its useful application as a prime l,mover therein; and, particularly, the generation of steam and its application as a prime mover to the idle stroke vof the piston in a plural cycle internal combustion engine, in thesaine cylinder and upon the same side of the piston; and, further, the avoidance of the necessity for independent cooling of the cylinder walls of an explosive engine. These andffurther objects hereinafter specified are attained bythe' method and apparatus to vbe disclosed.-

My invention consists broadly in the method of drivinga piston in an engine cyl-` 4 inder ofthe internalv combustion type by alternating the power impulses due to the expansion of the explosive fuel, withpower impulses derived from the 'expansion of'.

steam generated by the heat of combustion of such fuel in Contact with water intermittently suppliedl to'and injected upon the cylinder parts immediately affected by the products of' combustion.

My invention further. consists in structuralv means adapted to interpolate a steamexpansion impulse between the combustionexpansion impulses of anexplosive engine and in means for translating the heat created within the combustion ch-amber by the explosion of fuel therein -into steam., and in meansvfor applying the pressure of the steam so generated as a prime mover between explosion strokes, whereby an alternate explosive and steam cycle of applied powers is obtained in the same cylinder upon a common piston working therein. l

My invention particularly consists 1n the application of the principles underlying my broad discoveryto internal combustion engines of the two cycle type and in means on the ensuing up 'stroke of the piston.

tural embodiment of my invention, i have shown its application to a two cycle engine in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lois va vertical sectional view, showing the piston at the top of the compression stroke, and the position of the Valves and timing mechanism operating same, the power connectionsto the valve-operating mechanism being omitted; fuel and water connections being shown tosources of supply not illustrated.- Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the position ofthe valves at explosion of the charge and showing the piston beginning the power stroke due thereto, the admission of a portion of the expanded gases into the 'steam chamber being indicated by arrows; a conventionalized carburetor is also shown 1n assoc1at1on -w1th the fuel Intake.

Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2, illustrating the positioning of the valves after explosion and as the power stroke due thereto is begun.

Figure 4 is a similar View, illustrating the position of the valves at the bottom of the power stroke. Figurel 5 is a similar view, illustrating the positioning of the valves and the piston at the top of the third or expansion stroke for the admission of steam thereto. Figure 6 is a similar view, showing the piston at the bottom of the third stroke, and the position of the valves during the admission of the explosive charge to be compressed Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 is the crank-case, 2 is the crankshaft, 3 is the connecting rod connected to piston 4 reciprocating in cylinder 5. In order to use the same cylinder for both the explosive and steam strokes,fit is desirable to have such a construction of the cylinder and valves Aas will permit a clearance space at :top of the piston of the proper dimension for the compressed explosive gases, and it is .also desirable to have the leastposslble clearance .on top of piston before steam ais- Mld . sion'on the steam stroke. To meet vthese conditions, I have provided what I termla combustion chamber at top of the cylinder 5 which is adapted to be closed off from cylinl der 5 by valve 7 I also provide a communieating chamber l8 surrounding the combustion chamber 6 and which I term a steam A chamber, whichis adapted to be closed off from the combustion chamber 6 by valve .9, `forming, a separate chamber. When valve `7 is raised as shownin Figure 1, the necesforded. `Valve 9 is held to its seat'by a spring 10 whichallows valve 9 to open automatically When pressure due to the explosion of the gases in combustion chamber 6 is greater than the pressure in steam chamber 8,- as-shown in Fig. 2. Steam chamber 8 is enclosed by cap-piece 11 which is attachedto top of cylinder 5. As I have shown the preferred construction, it 'is arranged to operate inl conjunction with the explosive and compressive strokes of Va. two cycle engine, but by .properl timing of the valve system,

my principle is equally applicable to any,

plural cycle. 0n the up strokes of piston-4 in cylinder 5, a partial vacuum is formed in crank-case 1 which draws in a mixture of gas and air through valve 12 from the carbureter 13, shown in Figure 2. On the down stroke this gas mixture is put under compression andi forced up through valve 14 as shown in Fig. 6, which is held to its seat by spring 15 and automatically operated, into tube 16 which connects top of cylinder 5 through a passage in said cylinder containing and controlled b balanced valves 17 which are held to their 'seats by the spring 1.8 and are mechanically operated by cam 19,v

as shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 1 the piston is shown at the top of the compression stroke on the point of firing by spark plug 26. It will be noted that valve 7 is raised from its seat so that a chamber is formed with an opening into cylinder 5 which contains the compressed gas mixture. Fig. 2 shows the piston 4 just started on down stroke due to the explosion of the compressed gases with valve 9 raised from its seat by the force of the explosion, and a quantity of the exploded gases forced into chamber 8, represented by arrow lines radiating from between-valve9 and its seat. Immediately the piston 4 has traveled down on its stroke far enough to allow the combust gases to expand to a pressure less than the pressure of the gases in chamber 8, Valve 9 drops to its seat due to the spring 10, thereby closing o" the gases in Ichamber 8 and isolating'them, as shown in Fig. 3. Piston 4 continues down on its stroke due to the expansion of the gases remaining in cylinder 5, and at the bottom of its stroke these ases are exhausted from cylinder through a port 20, as shown in Fig. the start on the next stroke, which is an up strke, valve 7 closes due to operation of cam 21, as shown 4in Fig. 4, which allows lever arm 22 to drop, thereby operating said valve 7 this closes off chamber 6 from cylin-v der 5. Immediately after valve 7 closes,

valve 9 is liftedfrom its seat by rocker arm 23 which is operated by cam24 and is held pen long enough to allow an inrush of as .and steam mixture from chamber 8, filllng chamberi, and then closes before piston 4 has reached the top of its stroke, as-shown in Fig.v 5. When piston 4 has reached the top of this second stroke, valve 7' is again lifted by cam 21 and the gas steam mixture contained in chamber 6j enters cylinder 5, put tig a pressure on piston 4,.forcing it on down stroke which is the third stroke. At the bottom ofthe third stroke the gas steam mixture is exhaustedthrough port 20. The exhaust of this gas steam mixture is helped by the inrush of fresh gas mixture from carbureter 13 through which it is admitted to cylinder 5 at top by opening of valve 17 before described. As this fresh gas mixture enters the top of cylinder 45 and the gas steam mixture is exhausted at bottom through port 20, theinrush of fresh gas not only helps to force out the low pressure gas steam mixture but because it does enter at the top it clears the cylinderof the low pressure gases and in addition very little of this fresh gas c'an escape through port 20 due to the fact that it enters at the far side and the greatest distance from this port. Thus I have described the method by which I charge cylinder 5 with fresh gas which is compressed onthe next or fourth stroke of the piston, which brings us again to the top of compression'and the beginning of the first or explosion stroke.

During the up stroke as shown .in Fig. 5, water is injected into chamber 8 through 'openings 25. This water comes into direct contact with the hot gases of combustion which have been forced into this chamber 8 during the first or explosion stroke, as

tion of the gas steam mixture for the steam stroke; the upper or steam chamber acts as a. reservoir for the steam mixture which is generated therein by the direct contact of a portion of the gases of combustion under pressure with water, both of which have .been forced into this Chamber under pressure, the gases of combustion by the expansion of the gases due to combustion, and the water by mechanical means. During the explosion stroke the high temperature of the gases of combustion heats the walls of the cylinder and the top of the piston. During the steam stroke o-n' the alternate cycle, the heat contained in the cylinder walls and piston is taken up by th-e steam which will raise the temperature of the steam, and thereby raise its pressure and prevent the losses heretofore encountered in a steam stroke due to the cylinder walls having a temperature less than the entering steam temperature. By takingr up the heat contained in the cylinder walls due to an explosion stroke, in the steam stroke, the excess heat which would accumulate in a number of explosion strokes is prevented: `rIhe entrance of steam on an alternate cycle cools these walls sufficiently to allow a continuation of this cycle. Thus it will be seen that I have an explosion engine-,in which it is not necessary to cool the cylinder walls, as those walls are cooled by steam on the alternate cycle. I also have an ideal steam stroke inasmuch as the steam enters a cylinder in which the temperature is equal to or greater than the entering steam temperature.

From the foregoing description, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that my invention is an improvement in the method of operation of explosive engines employing an idle piston stroke, inasmuch as I have divided a cycle to use part of the heat energy in an alternate stroke. By using a part of the gases under pressure of combustion in a chamber to generate steam in direct contact and using this steam. mixture in the same cylinder in which I have the explosive stroke, I am able to save the greater part of the heat energy lost in the cylinder due to radiation on both cycles, as there is an explosive stroke operated under what is known as the two cycle principle and an alternate unidirectional-flow steam stroke, making one explosive stroke and one steam stroke every four strokes, constituting the two cycles, the compression and explosion stroke exhausting at the end of the explosion stroke. The foregoing andliother features of operative advantage inhere in the method and arrangement of structure shown and described, and result in material power conservation with consequent high efficiency of operation and economy of fuel consumption. Having thus described a particular. application of my invention, but without 'intending to be understoodras circumscribing the general applicability thereof to lnternal combustion engines, I claim:

l. The method of operating an internal combustion engine consisting in generating steam therein by mixing the gaseous products of combustion, resultant from the explosion of the vaporized fuel, directly with water preheated by contact with the engine parts normally heated by Such explosion; separately confining said steam during its generation and'during the explosion impulse stroke of the piston g' admitting said steam to the piston upon its return therefrom; permitting the expansion of Said steam to drive said piston upon its next stroke and repeating said steam cycle in alternation with the explosive cycle. v

2. The method of operating an internal combustion engine consisting in-injecting a heat-absorbent f'luid against the exterior wall of the combustion chamber contacting the the heated fluid directly with the gases of combustion, confining the resultant vapor during the explosive power cycle of the piston, then admitting said vapor through the combustion chamber to the cylinder and permitting, it toexpand therein' during the piston stroke succeding the power cycle upon the same side of the piston as that receiving the explosive impulse and in alternation therewith, and permitting its expansion to drive said piston.

8. The method of operating an internal combustion engine, consisting in producing an explosion in a chamber in open communication with the cylinder, trapping a part of the products' of combustion in a second chamber in communication with said first chamber, injecting water therein, confining the generated steam in said second chamber during the power stroke of the piston due to such explosion, and then permitting .the steam to enter the cylinder and to expand upon the same side of the piston as that re-w ceiving the explosive impulse and in alternation therewith, and permitting its expansion to drive said piston.

4. The method of operating an internal combustion engine of the two cycle type, consisting in generating steam therein by direct contact of water with a portion of the gases of combustion which are forced ito the steam-generating chamber on the explosion of the gas mixture, admitting steam under pressure to the piston cylinder and upon the same side of the piston as that receiving the explosive impulse, upon the first stroke of the second cycle.

5. In `an internal combustion engine adapted to alternate explosive and steam impulses as power cycles, a piston cylinder, a chamber connected thereto in which steam is generated by direct contact of vapor with the gases of combustion, means adapted to utilize heat radiated from the combustion chamber in converting a heat-absorbing -fluid into said vapor, and means adapted to supply such vapor under compression to the combustion chamber and to apply the force of its expansion in driving the piston upon a power stroke intermediate the power strokes produced by explosion of fuel in the combustion chamber. i

6., An internal combustion engine having a piston cylinder, va combustion chamber in communication therewith and a valve therebetween; a second chamber partially surrounding said combustion chamberv and ya valve therebetween; a piston reciprocating in said-cylinder, means adapted to open and close said valves in timed relation to the stroke of said piston, and means adapted to generate steam in said second chamber by direct contact of water vapor with a portion of,

the gases of combustion, said means being adapted to separately introduce said water vapor and said gases into said chamber, the latter upon the explosion of the gas-producin fuel.

In an internal combustion engine of the two-cycle type, a piston chamber, a combustion chamber and a steam-'generating chamber in direct alinement.' means adapted to inject water within said steam generatingl means adapted to time said supply in correspondence with the non-explosion stroke of the piston.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the two cycle type, a steam-generating chamber partially surrounding the combustion chamber intermediate a piston cylinder and the said steam-generating chamber, means for admitting water to said steam-generating chamber, a valve system adapted alternately tov admit products of combustion from said combustion chamber into direct contact with said water in said steam-generating chamber and to permit the escape of steam therefrom into said piston cylinder by way of said combustion chamber'and upon the same side of the piston as the explosive impulse, and means adapted to control said valve system in timed relation to the strokes of the piston whereby a steam-expansionf impulse drives said piston on its normally idle stroke.

9. An internal combustion engine comprising a power cylinder and a piston working therein, a combustion chamber communicating with said cylinder, a steam chamber communicating with said combustion chamber, valves adapted to close the combustion chamber, the valve between the cylinder and combustion chamber being timed to open with relation to the opening of the valve bctween the steam chamber and the combustion chamber, and timing mechanism adapted to operate the latter upon the completion of the return stroke of the piston due to an explosion.

l0. In an internal combustion engine of the two cycle type, a cylinder and a piston working therein, a combustion chamber at the end of the cylinder and communicating therewith, a steam chamber partially surroundin said combustion chamber 'and communicatlng with it, a valve between said c vlinder and combustion chamber, and a valve between said chambers, the latter valve being adapted to be opened automatically by the explosion of the charge in said cylinder and to be closed before the closing of the valve between said combustion chamber and said cylinder, and means for operating said valves in timed relation, whereby the steam charge is held in the steam chamber until the closing of the communication between the cylinder and combustion chamber, is then admitted tothe combustion chamber and held there until the closing of the communication between the steam chamber and combustion chamber, and is then admitted to the working cylinder.

11. ln an internal combustion engine, means adapted to interpolate a steam-impulse cycle between explosive impulse cycles comprising a valved chamber intermediate the piston cylinder and a steam-generating chamber alined therewith, said valved chamber being adapted to apportion the steam to .each steam stroke and to allord clearance on the compression and explosion stroke.

lHARVEY B. BLACK. 

